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Top Ten

This year’s edition of the Global Gender Gap Index sees one new entrant to its top ten list as well as some notable rank changes. The top spots continue to be held by smaller European countries, particularly the Nordics who occupy the top four positions, with two countries from the East Asia and the Pacific region, one country from the Sub-Saharan Africa region, and one country from the Latin America and the Caribbean region also represented. Compared to the world average, the leaders of the Index perform particularly strongly on Political Empowerment, with all ranking in the top 20 on this subindex.

Iceland (1) takes the top spot for the eighth consecutive year, closing more than 87% of its overall gender gap. It remains the top performer on Political Empowerment and in the top ten on Economic Participation and Opportunity on the back of solid improvements in the number of women among legislators, senior officials and managers. However, this year’s update of income scales on the estimate earned income indicator reveals that there remains an overall income gender gap to close. This is corroborated by its performance on the Wage equality for similar work indicator, for which Iceland ranks in 11th place this year. Since 2009, the country has fully closed its gender gap on Educational Attainment. Since the first edition of the Index in 2006, Iceland has closed approximately 12% of its total gender gap, making it one of the fastest-improving countries in the world.

Finland (2) overtakes Norway and regains its second place in the world, closing nearly 85% of its overall gender gap. It has fully closed its gender gap on Educational Attainment and Health and Survival and remains the runner-up on Political Empowerment, reaching parity in the number of women in ministerial positions. The Index’s updated estimated earned income scale reveals that Finland, too, has some work left to do to fully close its overall income gender gap.

Norway (3) drops a spot and returns to its previous third-place position, closing more than 84% of its overall gender gap. Even with the Index’s revised estimated earned income scale it remains in the global top ten in this category as confirmed by an equally strong performance on the Wage equality for similar work indicator. Norway also remains the third top performer on the Political Empowerment subindex. It moves up four spots on the Educational Attainment subindex but its gender gap remains open—as does its Health and Survival gender gap, which has in fact slightly widened since last year.

Sweden (4) maintains its respective ranking as fourth best for the eighth year running, closing more than 81% of its overall gender gap. It takes a strong position on the Economic Participation and Opportunity subindex, due to, among other factors, an increase in female legislators, senior officials and managers, where the country moves up seven positions compared to last year. It also nearly closes its Educational Attainment gender gap. On the Political Empowerment subindex, Sweden drops a rank despite reaching parity in the number of women in ministerial positions.

Rwanda (5) crosses the threshold of closing 80% of its gender gap and overtakes Ireland to break into the top five for the first time since entering the Index. This is mostly due to improvements on its Economic Participation and Opportunity subindex score, where the country moves up six spots over last year on the back of improved parity in estimated earned income. It remains the country with the highest share of female parliamentarians in the world, 64%, and maintains its respective score on the Political Empowerment subindex despite dropping a spot to eighth. Its Educational Attainment gender gap remains open and ranks 112th despite enrolment in tertiary education improvements. Its Health and Survival gender gap also remains open, placing it 94th in the world.

Ireland (6) moves down a spot and leaves the top five performers, dropping just below closing 80% of its overall gender gap. This is mainly due to a decline on its Economic Participation and Opportunity score, with the Index’s updated estimated earned income scale revealing a larger-than-before income gender gap. For the first time since 2011, the country has fully closed its gender gap on Educational Attainment. Due to improvements on its Political Empowerment score, with more women in parliament, it joins the top five performers in this category. It is also the third-ranked country in the world for number of years with a female head of state.

The Philippines (7) maintains its respective ranking as the highest performer in the East Asia and the Pacific region, despite a slight decline in its overall score. A lower Economic Participation and Opportunity subindex score, caused by fewer female legislators, senior officials and managers, partly accounts for this fall. Since 2006, the country has fully closed its gender gap on the Health and Survival subindex. It has also managed to fully re-close its Educational Attainment gender gap after a re-opening for the first time last year.

Slovenia (8) moves up a spot due to improvements on the Economic Participation and Opportunity subindex and the Wage equality for similar work indicator. With nearly 79% of its overall gender gap closed, it is the strongest performing country in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Since 2006, it has closed approximately 16% of its gender gap, making it one of the fastest-improving countries in the world, although its gender gaps on both the Educational Attainment and Health and Survival subindexes are yet to be fully closed.

Similarly, New Zealand (9) climbs one rank due to improving its position on the Economic Participation and Opportunity subindex, with higher female labour force participation. It is yet to fully close its Health and Survival gender gap; and, for the first time since 2008, its Educational Attainment gender gap has re-opened. The country also maintains its strong Political Empowerment subindex score, despite dropping a spot to 16th.

Nicaragua (10) re-enters the Index top ten for the first time since 2014. With 78% of its overall gender gap closed, it remains the best performer in the Latin America and the Caribbean region for the fifth year running. It has fully closed the gender gap on the Educational Attainment and Health and Survival indexes, and ranks fourth in the world on Political Empowerment, with more than 50% of its political gender gap now closed. However, it ranks 92nd on the Economic Participation and Opportunity subindex and its economic gender gap remains wide. Since 2006, Nicaragua has closed approximately 19% of its overall gender gap—making it one of the fastest-improving countries in the world.